Watching a Bose-Einstein condensate crystallize

Journal Article · Thu Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physics Today

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3463617· OSTI ID:22038492

Wilson, Mark

In 1954 Robert Dicke predicted a remarkable phenomenon. Imagine a dense cloud of two-level atoms in an excited state that can radiatively decay. Because each atom typically decays independently of its neighbors, the cloud is a collection of incoherent emitters. But, he argued, if the atoms interact coherently, through the same optical field into which they emit their photons, they would spontaneously and collectively radiate coherent and highly polarized light--an effect Dicke named superradiance.

• OSTI ID: 22038492
• Journal Information: Physics Today, Vol. 63, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9228
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION
CLOUDS
EXCITED STATES
NUCLEAR DECAY
PHOTONS
RADIATIVE DECAY
SUPERRADIANCE